Throwaway People

Conejita

10th Avenue: 7:50 PM

Conejita only ventured out at night now. They had called her Conejita at the Casa Sombrio, but her real name was Kaitlyn. Conejita meant Bunny in Spanish. Conejita Bonita. Pretty Bunny. Conejita saw a family behind her as she walked. Although she realized they might be just friends. The youngest looked familiar.

"Hey!!" The youngest shouted to Conejita. Conejita bolted like the rabbit she was named after.

Key was sure that the young girl she saw was Conejita. Her friend from the Casa Sombrio. The girl bolted. Running into the parking lot of the plaza in front of the high school. Not wanting to call attention to herself, Jim or Patty, Key let the girl run away.

"I knew her." Key explained later. "I'm sure it was Conejita."

Jim was glad the girl bolted. It felt like another reason form them to find Key's real parents. Jim didn't want Key stepping back towards the streets. Conejita could be a step backwards. Jim knew he couldn't help the world. He felt that between Patty, Keyote, and himself they were helping enough people. They let Bobbi into their camp, but she was still working the streets, and Jim didn't know how to convince Bobbi to stop before she got hurt or killed. This Conejita would be one more person to worry about.

1:00 AM

Key watched the girl climb the back fence. At least Carlos hadn't shown up lately. The girl was staying at the high school. Hiding somewhere on the grounds, possibly from Carlos. Not soon after the girl showed up Carlos' white pickup drove by. It was possible that Carlos was here because he was looking for Conejita.

Greenacres Camp: 6:00 AM

Keyote watched the students from the small window in the attic. They arrived at the school just before daylight. Bus after bus. More came walking in their backpacks. Keyote had seen a few before, as they walked to school when Patty and Keyote were walking to the bus stop. She had not seen the crowd that arrived just before school opened. As the sun was rising up from the other side of the school. There were so many of them.

They were dressed in multi-colored modern clothes, talking on phones, with their friends, and with headphones in their ears. Some were in groups, others walked alone, while others started alone and joined the groups, others split from their groups to join other groups or walk alone. At times the groups would merge and mingle than seperate. Keyote desperately wished that she could be part of that. Just a normal child, not hiding from the police and DCF. Pretending to be older than she was.

The adults had decided to sleep in today. There was talk about all of them going to downtown Lake Worth to the Lost Tea Shop. Patty wanted Jim to meet Stacey. Patty had told Keyote that just because someone was nice to you it didn't mean that they had your best interests in mind. Stacey was nice to both of them. Her only interest in them seemed to be having them play at her shop.

If that was Stacey's angle, then why did Stacey tell them about the open mike night tomorrow at Rosalee's. Was it possible that some people were simply nice? That you didn't have to worry about what their angle was? Were there people out there who didn't want to abuse you, hurt you, sell your body? Someone who cared about people the way Jim and Patty cared about Keyote. Was that possible? Keyote thought that Jim and Patty were the exception. Maybe they weren't?

Lost Tea Shop: 9:45 AM

As Keyote set up outside, Patty took Jim inside. They had eaten breakfast at the McDonald's in downtown Lake Worth. Walking past the chic shops they came to the little building that housed the Lost Tea Shop. They weren't early this time. A few customers had already gathered, waiting for Keyote to set up.